Suit hanger



June 22, 1954 P. s. MCLEAN SUIT HANGER Filed March 7, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

Patented June 22! 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUIT HANGER Philip S. McLean, Bloomfield, N. J.

Application March 7, 1952, Serial No. 275,324

2 Claims.

l The invention disclosed in this patent relates to hangers of the type in which the trousers are supported by being looped over a bar extending across beneath the shoulder forms on which the coat is supported.

The matter of inserting the trousers through the arch of the hanger and looping them over the bar requires exercise of a certain amount of care and skill and then when engaged over the bar, there is a tendency for the trousers to slide to one or the other end of the bar or to slide off the bar as the hanger is shifted in putting the coat on over the top of the hanger.

A special object of the invention is to provide for applying as much gripping pressure as may fbe needed to properly hold the trousers in place intent and scope or" the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawing is a broken perspective view illustrating the holding of the hanger in one hand, with the clamp element lifted, while slipping the folded trousers over the open end of the bar with the other hand;

Fig. 2 is a iront elevation of the hanger shown with the front guide plate removed from the clamp to illustrate the cooperative guide shoulders on the clamp and underside of the arch;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on substantially the plane of line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. i and 5 are vertical cross sectional details on substantially the planes of lines 4 4 of Fig. l and 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View on substantially the plane of line 8 5 of Fig. 2.

In accomplishing the purposes or this invention, the bar which forms the trousers support is supported entirely from one end so as to leave the opposite end clear for sliding the folded trousers thereon.

In Figs. l and 2 this trousers hanger bar 'I is shown as attached to one of the shoulder forms 8 by an integral elbow portion 9 and as extended toward but terminating short of the lower outer end of the other shoulder form IS, thus leaving a gap at II betweeny the end of the bar and the adjoining shoulder form.

For ease in slipping the trousers into position, the upper edge of the bar may be slightly below the lower end of the shoulder form.

To hold the trousers in place on the bar there is provided an overstanding clamp shown in the form of a movable bar or plate I2 guided for limited vertical movement within the arch of the hanger, above and in cooperative relation to the supporting bar.

In the illustration', vertical guiding action is effected by the provision of substantially vertical end shoulders I3 onk the clamp bar disposed between dependent, substantially vertical shoulders I4, dependent from the underside of the arch I5 of the hanger top.

Lateral' guiding of the clamp bar is effected in the illustration by the plates IB applied over opposite faces of the clamp bar and extended, as shown, to form anges reaching over opposite faces of the hanger.

These front and back plates I6 are shown as slightly spaced from the front and back faces of the hanger body and the vertical movement guiding faces I3 and I4 are shown as spaced to allow the clamp appreciable freedom of movement and to prevent binding and to permit the clamp to close and. to hold closed by simple gravity action.

The clamp is provided with a handle portion so that it may be raised out of the way when slipping the trousers into position on the bar. This is accomplished in the illustration by provision of a hand grip recess I'I in the lower intermediate edge portion of the bar I2 and face plates I6, located at the intermediate portion to afford easy reach to ngers of the hand grasping the hanger, and also to provide clearance for the seam usually present in the mid-portion of the trousers.

The top of the clamp is shown clear of the under-arch portion of the hanger, both in the raised relation shown in Fig. l and in the lowered position shown in Fig. 2, so that the fingers of the hand may be passed beneath the arch for convenience in carrying and operating the device.

Fig. 1 shows how the hanger may be supported in one hand by passing the thumb and first finger beneath the lower edge of the arch I5, and the other fingers of that same hand be extended beneath the arched grip portion I'I and used to lift the clamp clear of the bar 1.

This leaves the other hand free to slip the folded trousers I8 edgewise through the gap II into supported position on the bar 1.

The clamp will drop of itself as soon as released by the fingers, thus to grip and hold the folded trousers in position.

This automatic gripping and holding of the trousers is all that is necessary, usually, to retain the trousers in proper position while manipulating the hanger to get the coat in position over the shoulder forms.

If desired to apply greater holding force, however, some of the lingers of the hand holding the hanger may he extended over the top of the clamp bar and downward pressure applied on the clamp.

The gravitational holding effect of the clamp is suflicient for all general purposes hut if desired, this holding action may be aided by one or more springs exerting downward pressure on the clamp.

Also, while the clarnp holds the trousers in place for all usual handling purposes, it does not prevent thc trousers being simply pulled oil over the end of the bar when it is desired to remove the trousers from the hanger.

The hanger consists of but two main parts, each oi simple, rugged construction. Both or either the hanger body and the clamp may be made up of plywood, as indicated, or of solid wood, plastic, metal or other materials.

While particularly useful for holding trousers and inens coats, it is apparent that the hanger may he equally useful as a hanger for womens suitsy skirts, coats, blouses and the like.

What is claimed is:

l. AA suit hanger comprising a hanger arch having shoulder forms at opposite ends and a supporting bar extending horizontally from the lower, outer end of one shoulder forni toward but terminating short of the lower, outer end of the other shoulder iorrn providing a gap at that side of the hanger through which a folded garment may be slipped edgewise over the end of said bar into fully supported position on the bar and a clamp har loosely coniined beneath the hanger arch in position to rest on a garment supported on said supporting bar, said clamp bar having opposed, substantially parallel flanges at opposite faces of the saine spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the arch and projecting upwardly over opposite faces of the arch sufficiently to loosely conne the clamp bar transversely over the supporting bar, horizontally spaced upright shoulders on the upper edge of the clamp bar and companion horizontally spaced upright shoulders dependent from the underside of the hanger arch extending downwardly in overlapping relation over the shoulders on the clamp bar and loosely, longitudinally confining the clamp bar in position over the sup-porting bar.

2. A suit hanger comprising a hanger arch having shoulder forms at opposite ends and a supporting bar extending horizontally from the lower, outer end of one shoulder form toward but terminating short of the lower, outer end of the other shoulder form providing a gap at that side of the hanger through which a folded garment may be slipped edgewise over the end of said bar into fully supported position on the bar and a clamp bar loosely ooniined beneath the hanger arch in position to rest on a garment supported on said supporting bar, said clamp bar having opposed, substantially parallel flanges at opposite faces of the sarne spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the arch and projecting upwardly over opposite faces of the arch sufiiciently to loosely confine the clamp bar transversely over the supporting bar, horizontally spaced upright shoulders on the upper edge of the clamp bar and companion horizontally spaced upright shoulders dependent from the underside of the hanger arch extending downwardly in overlappingrelation over the shoulders on the clamp bar and loosely, longitudinally confining the clamp bar in position over the supporting bar, the intermediate, lower edge portion of the clamp bar being relieved upwardly to admit the fingers of a hand gripping the hanger arch, and the top edge of the clamp :bar being spaced below the underside of the arch to admit the ngers of a hand over the top of the clamp bar for pressing the clamp bar downwardly against a garment on the supporting bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date y 1,524,810 Bolen Feb. 3, '1925 2,478,297 McGirr Aug. 9, 1949 2,490,475 Rosenberg Dec. 6, 1949 

